Complete information for Blake Island

Park overview:

Blake Island State Park is a 475-acre marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing magnificent views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline. The park is only reachable by tour boat or private boat. Indian-style salmon dinners and demonstrations of Northwest Indian dancing are offered at Tillicum Village, a concession on the island.

Want to support Washington State Parks? Get involved by joining a friends' group. For more information, visit the Friends' Group web page.

Park hours/updates:

Summer: 6:30 a.m. to dusk.
Winter: 8 a.m. to dusk.

The park is open year round for camping and day use. There is a seven day overnight moorage limit.

Camping:
Check-in time, 1 p.m.
Check-out time, 1 p.m.
Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.

Winter Schedule for all Washington State Parks

Current alerts:

Agency information:

Don't move firewood: Please protect the Pacific Northwest from invasive species by obtaining or purchasing your firewood at or near your camping destination (within 50 miles). Firewood can carry insects and diseases that threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by buying and burning your firewood locally. For more information, visit online at www.dontmovefirewood.org or the Washington Invasive Species Council website.

Campsite Information:

The camp ground has 44 standard sites, two primitive sites, three water trail sites, one marine dump station, four restrooms (one ADA) and one shower area.

Three Cascadia Marine Trail sites are located on the west end of the island. These sites are for use by canoers and kayakers only. The primitive sites are available on the south side.

All campsites are first come, first served.

Group Accommodations:

A group camp is available by reservation for groups up to 100 people. Fees vary with size of the group. To make a reservation, visit online or call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.

2013 camping fees:

Please note that the following general fee information is not customized for each individual park, so not all fees will apply to all parks (for example, primitive campsite and dump station fees listed apply only to parks that have primitive campsites and dump stations).

May 15 – Sept. 15 (peak season)
Primitive campsite and water trail camping: $12
Standard campsite: $23 non-premium site, $26 premium site
Partial-utility campsite*: $30 non-premium site, $35 premium site
Full-utility campsite*: $32 non-premium site, $37 premium site
*Please note: Camping fees during the 2013 peak season are $28 for partial-utility sites and $29 for full-utility sites at Beacon Rock, Lewis & Clark and Schafer state parks. These parks are first come, first served.

Jan. 1 – May 14 and Sept. 16 – Dec. 31 (off-peak season)
Primitive campsite and water trail camping: $12
Standard campsite: $22 for non-premium and premium sites
Partial-utility campsite: $28 for non-premium and premium sites
Full-utility campsite: $29 for non-premium and premium sites

Maximum eight people per campsite.

Second vehicle: $10 per night is charged for a second vehicle unless it is towed by a recreational vehicle. Extra vehicles must be parked in designated campsite or extra vehicle parking spaces.

Dump stations (if available): Year-round dump station fees are $5 per use. If you are camping, this fee is included in your campsite fee.

More about park hours
Check-in time is 2:30 p.m., and check-out time is 1 p.m.
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Engine-driven electric generators may be operated only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Length of stay: You may stay up to ten consecutive days in any one park from April 1 through Sept. 30; the stay limit is extended to 20 days between Oct. 1 and March 31.

Driving Directions

Located between Vashon Island and Bainbridge Island, eight miles west of from Seattle, Wash. in Kitsap County.


Blake Island is accessible only by private boat or tour boats that depart from Seattle and Bremerton. For tour boat information, call Argosy Cruises (206) 622-8687 or (888) 623-1445.

Park Maps

Blake Island downloadable pdf map #1


List of all downloadable Washington State Park maps.

Park Features

Blake Island offers a unique Northwest Indian dining and cultural experience at Tillicum Village. Visitors can enjoy a barbecued salmon dinner cooked in traditional Native American style while watching Northwest Indian dancing. Call Argosy Cruises (206) 622-8687 or (888) 623-1445 for details.

A highlight of the park is its five-mile beach shoreline, which provides views of mountains, volcanoes and the Seattle skyline.

History

Blake Island was an ancestral camping ground of the Suquamish Indian tribe, and legend has it Chief Seattle was born there. It is believed the island was named by naval explorer Captain Charles Wilkes in honor of George Smith Blake, who commanded U.S. Coast Survey vessels from 1837 to 1848.

William Pitt Trimble acquired the island at the turn of the century and re-named it Trimble Island, transforming it into a magnificent private estate. After his wife was killed in Seattle in 1929, Trimble never returned to the property. The foundation of his mansion still stands, although the home itself has been destroyed by fire .

The property became Blake Island State Park in October, 1974.

Interpretive opportunities

The history of the Trimble estate appears on a sign at the site of the former Trimble mansion. (Blake Island was once the private preserve of the William Pitt Trimble family.) Native plants are interpreted in signage on the nature trail.

Services/Supplies

Available in the park
• Camping • Fire wood

T-Shirts, snacks, ice cream, fire logs and camping supplies are available at the park store located in the park office.

Activities

Trails	Water Activities	Other
• 8 mi. Hiking Trails • 7.5 mi. Bike Trails	• Boating (saltwater) • 1500 feet of moorage (saltwater) • Diving • Fishing (saltwater) • Clamming • Crabbing	• Beach Exploration • Bird Watching • 49 Fire Circles • 2 Fire Circles (sheltered) • 2 Horseshoe pits • Interpretive Activities • Mountain Biking • 1 Volleyball Field • Wildlife Viewing
Tillicum Village, a concession on the island, sponsors salmon dinners and Northwest Indian dancing. For reservations/information, call Argosy Cruises (206) 623-1445. Firewood gathering is not permitted on the island. A recreational license is required for fishing and shellfish harvesting at Washington state parks. For regulations, fishing season information or to purchase a recreational license, visit the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website.

Events

Events
Date/time	Event description	State Park
May 26	Seattle Aquarium Beach Walk: What lives in the tide pools of Blake Island State Park? Discover the critters living in Puget Sound with beach naturalist from Seattle Aquarium. Additional beach walks at Blake Island State Park are offered June 26 and July 6. For more information about Seattle Aquarium, visit www.seattleaquarium.org.	Blake Island (360) 871-4065
June 26	Seattle Aquarium Beach Walk: What lives in the tide pools of Blake Island State Park? Discover the critters living in Puget Sound with beach naturalist from Seattle Aquarium. Another beach walk at Blake Island State Park is offered July 6. For more information about Seattle Aquarium, visit www.seattleaquarium.org.	Blake Island (360) 871-4065
July 6	Seattle Aquarium Beach Walk: What lives in the tide pools of Blake Island State Park? Discover the critters living in Puget Sound with beach naturalist from Seattle Aquarium. Beach naturalist also will be providing information about Seattle Aquarium conservation activities. For more information about Seattle Aquarium, visit www.seattleaquarium.org.	Blake Island (360) 871-4065

Full list of events at Washington State Parks

Boating Features

The park offers 1,500 feet of moorage dock and 24 mooring buoys. Electrical service is available at the docks for a $6 fee. A boat pumpout also is available.

Moorage fees are charged year round for mooring at docks, floats and buoys from 1 p.m. to 8 a.m. Daily and annual permits are available. For more information, call (360) 902-8844.

Picnic and Day-use Facilities

Two picnic shelters with a fire circle (no electricity is available) for groups of 100 people or less. To make a reservation, visit online or call (888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688.

Fires are permitted only in designated fire circles at individual campsites. Barbeque grills are located in the day-use area.

Wildlife

Mammals	Birds	Fish & Sea Life
• Chipmunks • Deer or Elk • Minks • Otters • Raccoons	• Crows or Ravens • Doves or Pigeons • Ducks • Eagles • Geese • Gulls • Hawks • Herons • Ospreys • Owls • Woodpeckers • Wrens	• Clams • Crabs • Mussels • Sea Birds • Seals • Shellfish • Starfish • Whales • Bullhead • Perch • Salmon

Environmental Features

Physical Features		Plant Life
The park is located on an island with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline. The tidelands and bedlands make an underwater park.		• Cedar • Douglas Fir • Hemlock • Spruce • Yew • Alder • Cherry • Maple • Daisy • Foxglove • Berries • Ferns • Moss or Lichens • Seaweed • Thistle

Park photo gallery